OLD COLONIST'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16763, 1 February 1918, Page 6

OLD COLONIST'S DEATH.

MR. WILLIAM ASHBY. An old Thames identity, Mr. William ;f§ Ashby, died in Auckland recently in his - i 82nd year. Mr. Ashby was born atMait- *'' land, Huntingdon, North Wales, and came i f to Auckland with his parents when 14 ,ffi years old- When gold was discovered at,J

Thames Mr. Ashby went to that field and followed mining for the remainder of his working day. His first miner's right •'; *. 5 dated October 17, 1867. -At one time he -: worked in tho old Una claim, and : afterwards became amalgamator jn, the Moanataiari battery. Subsequently he went to Reefton, where he : resided for several years, being ■' manager of the battery at the Dig River _* v mine for about a year. He returned to the ■■.-, North Island nine years ago, and resided / with his daughter, first at Komata and latterly in Auckland, where he .expired after about three weeks' illness. Mr.' Ashby - =;■ was superintendent of the old High Street ■- Wesleyan Sunday-school for five years t and superintendent of the Shortland Wei- , leyan Sunday-school for 17 year?, ; during most of which time he also was choirmaster -J in the church. His wile died 19 years ego. ' , Mr. Ashby leaves a grown-up family of ,' two sons and two daughters—Mr. ~ W. W. Ashby, of tie' Dunedin staff of the Bank of Now Zealand j Mr. H. * J. Ashby, of Hamilton; Mrs. S, McMiken, . of Epsom, and Mrs. A. Sherlock, of Reef» H: ton. /p'